Rest of Their Lives
by digitaldesigner
Summary: The gang goes out for a drink.


Title: Rest of Their Lives

Author: Aimee

Rating: PG

Spoilers: You're Welcome

Pairing: Angel/Cordelia

Summary: The gang goes out for a drink.

Disclaimer: If you recognize them, they belong to Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt. Otherwise, they're mine.

Author's Note: In my version, Cordy wakes up from her coma for real.

Eve stepped onto the elevator from the lobby of Wolfram & Hart. The whole gang stood there, watching.

"It's really been a pleasure. Let's never keep in touch," Cordelia told her.

Angel stepped up beside her, protectively. "It's a new game, Eve. If I were you, I'd start thinking strategy," he told her.

"And here I am thinking revenge," she said.

"And what do you think the senior partners are thinking?" he asked.

Cordy smiled at him as the elevator doors closed on Eve.

"Well, I'm thiking sea breeze, compadres. I gave up a lot of blood for this gig," Lorne told them.

"And I didn't get any. I kept begging Eve to run, but..." Harmony said, shaking her head.

"Well, I've been prancing around thinking I had a destiny. Love to drown my embarrassment in a few pints," Spike added.

"We should all go get a drink. We haven't done that in...ever," Fred said.

"I'm in. Cat and Fiddle?" Gunn asked, pressing the elevator call button.

"Yeah. Unless, of course, you're busy packing?" Wesley asked Angel.

"A drink sounds good. I'll go get my coat," Angel said.

The elevator bell sounded just as Angel walked towards his office. The elevator door opened and the others walked onto it, all except Cordelia.

"You guys go ahead. We'll catch up. Oh and Wesley? You still work the best mojo in town," she said, smiling.

"I bleed from the neck and he gets the props," Lorne chucked as the elevator closed behind them.

"Hey, you ready?" Cordy asked Angel from the doorway, a small smile on her face.

He turned to her with a smile. "I am now." He quickly closed the distance between them and took her hand in his. "Let's go," he said and softly closed the door behind them.

Walking into the bar, they quickly spotted their friends. Hand in hand, they sat down between Fred and Lorne. "Hey, guys," Cordelia said.

After giving their drink orders to the waitress, Cordelia made herself comfortable by leaning against Angel's chest. He wrapped his arm around her waist, smiling.

"Hey, is that a genuine smile I see from Angelcakes?" Lorne asked.

Cordy looked up at Angel, an affectionate smile gracing her face. "Yeah, it is," she said.

"I think that's the first real smile you've smiled in...months," Wes told him.

"I haven't really had a reason to," Angel admitted, smiling down at the brunette in his arms. "I've been lost. And lonely," he said softly.

"Oh, Angel," Cordy said, her heart constricting in her chest.

"What's he been like?" she asked the others after the waitress arrived with their drinks.

"Heartbroken," Fred answered. "We all missed you, Cordy," she told her friend. The others nodded their heads. "But not like he did," Fred continued. "To be perfectly honest, I don't know how much longer he'd have lasted without you. I've never seen a man more in love."

"He's been operating on auto pilot for months. He hasn't been sleeping well. He plays racquetball every day, trying to exhaust himself in the hope of sleeping," Wes told her. "But it doesn't work."

Cordelia looked into Angel's face, suddenly noticing how tired he looked. "Angel, why?"

He sighed. "I missed you," he told her, knowing she'd understand what he was trying to say. "I missed you so much," he repeated, a tear slipping down his handsome face.

She gently wiped it away. "It's going to be okay now. I'm here and I'm never leaving you again," she told him, looking into his beautiful brown eyes. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Cordy," he told her, a smile lighting up his face. "God, how I've dreamed of hearing you say that."

"How about I say it every day for the rest of our lives?" she asked him.

"Sounds...wonderful."

"You know what I miss?" Cordelia asked, finishing the last of her drink.

"The Hyperion?" Angel said.

She smiled at him. "Yeah."

"Me too."

"Why did you move out?"

"It was too hard to live there without you. There were too many memories of you. It just hurt too much."

She squeezed his hand. "Can we--"

"Yes. I would love nothing more than to move back to the hotel," he told her.

"How long has it been since you've been there?" she asked.

"Probably only a few days," Gunn answered.

Cordy looked up at the black man in surprise. "A few days?"

Gunn nodded. "Yeah. He likes to go there when he wants to surround himself with you. Sometimes he goes to the basement and looks at those fake flowers we all know you bought for him," he said, smiling. "Other times, he sits in your chair at the desk, drawing pad in hand, sketching your face. There's no doubt pad after pad of sketches by now."

She looked at Angel. "Is any of this true?"

He nodded. "It's all true," he said quietly.

"Oh, Angel," she said as a tear slipped down her face. He gently wiped it away.

He finished the last of his drink. "Let's go home," he said, standing. "We won't be in the office tomorrow, guys," he told their friends. "Actually, take the day off," he told them. "All of you. Go live a little."

"Thanks, man," Gunn spoke for them.

"We'll see you later," Angel told them, taking Cordy's hand in his.

"Goodnight," Cordelia told their friends as she walked with Angel to his old Plymouth convertible.

Pulling up at the Hyperion, she looked at it with a smile. He smiled at the look that overtook her face, a look of both wonder and fond memories.

"Come on," he said, opening the door and giving her a hand out. She smiled her thanks.

He unlocked the door to the Hyperion and held the door open for her. She stepped through the door and smiled. "Welcome home," he whispered in her ear. She leaned back against him as he wrapped his arms around her waist, just enjoying the feel of her body against his.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

"A little," she admitted.

"Do you want to go to bed?"

"Yeah. There's just one thing I need to do first," she told him.

"What?" he asked.

"This," she told him as she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him with everything she had. He wrapped both arms around her, pulling her close to his body and kissing back with everything in him.

"I love you,Angel," she told him when they pulled apart.

"I love you, too, Cordy," he whispered.

"I do have one question for you, though," he told her.

"What?" she asked, sitting down on the stairs like so many times in the past.

He took a small box out of his pocket, getting down on one knee. "Cordelia Chase, you are the love of my life. I am lost without you. I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?" he asked.

She smiled through her tears and nodded. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you, Angel."

His smile was breathtaking, a smile that lit up his entire face. He removed the one carat diamond solitaire princess cut engagement ring and slipped it onto the third finger on her left hand. "Beautiful," he said, though he was looking at her face.

"I love you," she told him, tenderly touching his face.

"I love you, too," he told her as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Let's go to bed," he told her, leading her up the stairs to room 217 and the start of the rest of their lives together.


End file.
